Harry made his way across the Great Hall and stood right behind Draco. He and Severia had planned to walk to their detention together. He didn't have to walk over to the Slytherins, but he loved seeing Draco so angry.
"Sev, are you ready?" Harry asked, waving at Ruby. She only give him a half-smile.
Draco turned around to look at Harry. His black hair was ruffled in front of his face and his green eyes were fixed on Severia. Draco had always hated Harry, but after the night she brought him to the common room, he despised him.
"If I have to be." Severia said jokingly. "I'll see you this evening, Rube. Goodnight, Draco."
Draco looked at her the same way a child stares at their new puppy. Harry tilted his head when she said his name, but didn't say anything.
She walked to the other side of the table to meet Harry and linked her arm through his.
"Our first detention in the new trouble-making-pact. How exhilarating." Severia said as they walked out of the Great Hall.
"I'm just glad you won't be alone." He said to her, honestly. Even if it meant he had to deepen the scars on his own hand, he would do anything for her.
"I thought the same about you, Potter." Severia said as they arrived at Umbridge's door.
Her office was adorned with pink decorations and cat pictures in gold frames. The clutter was organized, but only to Umbridge. Needless to say, Severia hated it.
"Good evening!" Umbridge greeted them. They didn't say anything.
"Take a seat, please. Mr. Potter already knows what he will be doing." She continued as Harry and Severia exchanged a sad glance. "But I will explain it for you, Ms. Snape."
Severia and Harry sat next to each other as Professor Umbridge rummaged through her things to find the quills. She placed them on their desks along with a few pieces of parchment.
"You will both be writing lines with this quill. Harry will continue to write 'I must not tell lies' and you will begin writing 'I must show respect'." Umbridge said, the joy of it all was radiating off of her.
Harry began to write, but Severia only stared at him. He winced every time he had to pick up the quill to create a new letter. He caught her staring and mouthed 'it's okay', but this only hurt Severia more. She couldn't watch him any longer, so she picked up her own quill and took a deep breath.
She dragged it against the parchment to form the letter 'I', but nothing appeared. She looked at her hand and hadn't seen any blood. She tried again and again, but still no ink.
"Why aren't you writing anything?" Harry whispered to her. He was almost done with his first page.
"I-I'm trying, but I can't." Severia whispered back, then demonstrated for him by scribbling. He reached for her hand to stop her from harming herself, but saw she was telling the truth. Now he was just as confused as Severia.
While Umbridge was reorganizing the order of the cat photos on her wall, Severia took out her wand and placed it in her lap. She waved it slightly and the two quills both had a slight, red aura.
"They're the same quill, so why can't I use it?" Severia whispered to Harry again. Harry only shrugged, he couldn't give her an answer.
Severia raised her hand and Umbridge turned back around.
"It's nice to see you raise your hand for a change." Umbridge said before Severia could speak. Severia smirked at her comment.
"The quill doesn't work." Severia said calmly. Umbridge came to stand beside Severia's desk and asked her to write.
"See? I can't start it." Severia said. That hideous smile on Umbridge's face began to drop.
"That is not possible." Umbridge said, slightly annoyed. Harry stopped writing to watch them.
"Perhaps," Umbridge said in her more usual tone. "you just need a bowl of ink instead."
Umbridge took out her wand and slowly moved it across Severia's brown skin until Severia felt as though knives were diving into her.
"Stop! Stop! What are you doing?" Severia screamed. She was burning from the inside out and her lungs were deflating.
Harry put his quill down and jumped up. "Stop, you're going to kill her!" He shouted.
"It's just not possible!" Umbridge shouted before removing her wand and walking back to her desk.
Harry wrapped his arms around Severia as she put most of her body weight against him.
"What did you do to her?" Harry asked frantically, she was barely breathing.
"It isn't possible." Umbridge whispered.
Harry was livid. His hand ached, but the pain he watched Severia go through hurt him more than the quill ever could.
And it was all Umbridge's fault.
"Tell me what you did to her!" Harry shouted, he held his wand in his left hand and Severia in his right.
"Are you threatening me, Mr. Potter? I only tried to draw blood for her quill!" Umbridge shrieked.
"You're evil!" He shouted at her. He picked up Severia and walked her out of the room. Umbridge was so distraught from what she saw that she didn't try to stop him.
He hadn't spoken to Dumbledore or he would've gone there. Instead he brought her to Snape's room. Partly because he was her father and partly because it was closer. Once and awhile, Severia would try to talk to him, but it was incoherent.
Harry pounded on the doors and they swung open.
"Help me." Harry pleaded as Snape grabbed Severia.
"What have you done to her!" Snape growled. Harry's worries made him ignore Snape's tone.
"Umbridge did it! It was her fault!" Harry said, trying to stay calm in front of Snape. He felt the hot tears welling up in his eyes.
Severus sat her in his desk chair. He collected ingredients off of his shelves and mixed them together in his cauldron. Once the liquid was silver, he gave some to her.
Severia reached up to her necklace before looking at Harry or her father.
"I'm going to kill her." Harry said as Severia hugged him to show her gratitude.
"Not unless I get to her first, Potter." Snape said as he put a hand on Severia's head.
"H-How did you know?" Severia asked her father. "The potion, how did you know to make that one?"
"I've made it before." He replied casually, as if this would end his daughter's curiosity. "Do you remember why she performed that type of spell, my dear?"
"The quill—" Severia stopped herself. She looked at Harry, remembering that she wouldn't tell a soul what she did to him. However, Harry continued for her. His pride was no where near as important as keeping her safe.
"She makes us write with quills that cut our hands. It uses our blood for ink... except it didn't work on Severia." Harry said, recalling the painful details.
"Do you know why it wouldn't work, father?" Severia asked. With each minute, she regained more stability.
Severus looked at Severia and sighed softly.
"No, my dear. I don't." He said sadly, but Severia didn't believe him.
"Yes you do." She said, slightly harsher than she intended.
"Severia, I just need you to trust me." Snape said in a low voice. Harry glanced back and forth between them as they spoke. He hoped that Severia wouldn't argue with him standing there.
"Yes, father." Severia said. She didn't have the strength to challenge him anyways. "Can Harry take me back to the common room?"
Severus glared at Harry's hopeful, yet terrified face.
"I suppose." Snape said. He knew that regardless of what he said, that's where Harry would end up.
~~~
Severia pushed open the common room door and pulled Harry inside. The Slytherins were rarely in the common room, but because it was so late she was sure no one would bother them.
She took his hand and sat him down on the velvet couch. As soon as she sunk into the dangerously comfortable fabric, she felt the exhaustion drown her. They didn't say much as Harry looked around the room from the seat next to her.
"Thank you." Severia said, breaking their comfortable silence.
Harry looked down at her tired face. Her cheeks were slightly hollower than they usually were and the golden glow that Harry adored wasn't as bright. Despite this, her eyes remained the same. Those eyes and the way they looked at him were his constant.
"You don't have to thank me." Harry said softly, still mesmerized by her.
"Yes I do, Harry." She said, shifting on the couch to be closer to him. He took in a breath to steady his nerves. "You're always saving me somehow. And if I'm not in danger yet, you're preventing it."
Severia put her fingers through Harry's. She could tell his breathing was short. Never once realizing that it was her touch causing him to panic.
"I just don't know how I deserve someone like you." Severia whispered, averting her eyes. Saying this made her heart stop.
"S- Sev." Harry started. "I- No. You are perfect. I'm the one who doesn't deserve someone like you."
Severia didn't know what came over her, but once their eyes met she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself into his lap to hug him.
Harry's heart was beating so fast it hurt. He put his arms around her back as she tucked her face into his neck.
"You're too good to be true." Severia said into him. Harry only pulled her closer.
"This has to be a dream. This... I'm going to wake up soon. None of this can be real. She can't be real." Harry thought.
Severia pulled back from the hug and stared down into his large eyes. The dimmed candle lights made them appear to be a deep, forrest green. Even if Severia could be anywhere in the world, she would remain here with him.
She leaned to the side of his face and whispered, "Do you want to stay."
Harry closed his eyes. He could do what he wanted or do what was right and the line between the two was blurred.
"Where would I stay?" He asked, stalling his answer.
"My room." Severia said without hesitation.
"What about your dad?" He asked, so desperately wanting to say yes.
"I'll tell him." She said. She would endure any consequence to keep him here.
"Sev, I-" He began.
"No, Harry. Please don't go." She pleaded sadly. She could tell he wanted to protect her once again.
"Severia, listen." He said, moving his right hand to her hair. "You know I want to."
Severia frowned. "Yeah, I do." She admitted, dragging her hands him his neck to his chest.
"Another time?" Harry asked her.
"I'll hold you to that, Potter." Severia said. She stood up from his lap and pulled him up with her. They walked to the door and stared at each other one last time.
"I'll uh, come get you in the morning." Harry said.
"I can't wait." Severia said smoothly.
"Please, Severia. Not now." He thought. She could say anything in that voice and he would listen.
"Goodnight, Harry." Severia said.
"G- Goodnight, Sev."
Once Harry exited the room, he leaned against the wall to steady himself. Severia fell onto her bed and slowed her breathing.
This would be another restless night for them.